Edward Daquan Smith, a 23-year-old male, died at the scene of a shooting that occurred during a large gathering at a house in the 2100 block of Setting Sun Drive in East El Paso. The incident took place just before midnight on Friday, February 28, 2025, when an altercation at the party escalated into gunfire. When police officers arrived at the scene in the Sun Ridge neighborhood near Sal Berroteran Park, they found Smith suffering from a gunshot wound, but the crowd had already dispersed.
Smith, who was from Chicago, served as a Private in the U.S. Army at Fort Bliss, where he worked as a repairer of small arms and towed artillery. He had enlisted in May 2022 and was assigned to the 1st Armored Division. Smith was married and left behind two sons. During his service, he earned the Army Service Ribbon and the National Defense Service Medal.
On Monday, March 24, 2025, police arrested Specialist Eric Lammarr Mathis, a 23-year-old fellow Fort Bliss soldier, in connection with Smith's death. Mathis, who was assigned to the 32nd Army Air and Missile Command and had previously deployed to Kuwait, was charged with murder. He was booked into the El Paso County Jail with bond set at $1.5 million. Fort Bliss officials confirmed they were fully cooperating with local law enforcement during the investigation.
